Fountain pen



Aug. 2z, 1939. B, w, HANLE 2,170,242

FOUNTAIN" PEN Filed March 11, 1958 nNvEN-roR Eef/amm, llfazz:

MMM g ATTO RN EYS Patented Aug. 22, 1939 l A A UNITED STATES'l PATENTUFFICI?.`

FOUNTAIN PEN Benjamin W. Hanle, Elizabeth, N. '.I., assigner to EaglePencil Company, a' corporation of Delaware f Application March 11, 1938,Serial No. 195,296

3 Claims. (Cl. 1Z0-42) The present invention is concerned with foun- Atthe forward end, the ink reservoir I4 has a tain pens, and moreespecially with fountain pens neck section 20 of hard rubber or thelike, with an of the vacuum type. accurately reamed axial hole 2|, whichfriction- An object of the invention is to provide a founvallyaccommodates the feed section 22, and the 5 tain pen of the typereferred to, which combines nib II. The upper end 24 of the axial hole2l is simplicity, durability and low cost of manufacenlarged in diameterto snugly accommodate the ture, with effective operation in use, andwhich is lower end of the tube I5, and to form an annular not subject toflooding as a result of expansion seat 25 for the lower end of saidtube. The tube of the air in the pen barrel, due to heat transmit- I5 issecured and sealed to the section 20 by ceted from the hand in use. mentor the like. An air vent tube 21 extends 10 A feature of the inventionis a self-contained axially in the feed section 22, with its upper endunit, which includes the ink reservoir, the neck extending into the bulbchamber, and communisection, the feed section and the nib, and which iseating at its lower end through a transverse pasreadily mountable intoor dismountable from a sage 28 in the feed section 22, with feed duct 30pen barrel, affording a heat insulating air jacket longitudinallytherealong. 15 about the ink reservoir. The ink reservoir I4 with itsbulb I6, section Various other objects, features and advantages 20, feedsection`22 and nib Il, form a self conof the invention will be apparentfrom the foltained unit, which can be easily mounted in or lowingparticular description, and from an indismounted from the barrel I0 assuch, and

spection of the accompanying drawing, in which which is retained in saidbarrelby the frictional 20 Fig. 1 is a view in longitudinal,cross-section, engagement of the lower end of said barrel with showingthe invention on an enlarged scale, apa reduced neck 29 of said section20. The ink plied to one desirable form of fountain pen, with reservoirI4 is of smaller external diameter than the collapsible portion of theink reservoir in the internal diameter of the barrel IIL-and when fullyinflated condition, mounted in the operative position shown in Fig. 25

F18. 2 1S 8- fraementary view in longitudinal l, affords a cylindricalair space 3| between said crossl-section of the upper end of the`fountain barrel and said ink reservoir, which acts asaheat pen, butshowing the cap removed, and the colinsulator, especially desirable in avacuum pen lapsible portion of the 'ink reservoir in collapsed of thetype shown, in which the space left in the 30 position during ink`filling operation, ink reservoir by the exhausted ink is replaced 30Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are transverse sectional views with air admittedthrough the air vent tube 21. taken respectively on linesy33, 4 4, and5-5 The barrel Ill is desirably provided with a series of Fig. 1, and hof holes 32, designed to prevent the pressure of y Fig. 6 is aperspective of the lever for collapsing the air in said barrel fromrising and causing the flexible portion of the ink reservoir. flooding.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a foun- The upper end of thebarrel I0 carries a lever tainv pen of conventional external appearance,35, which serves to collapse the bulb I6 in filling. which has avremovable cap (not shown), adapted For that purpose the rear open end ofthe barrel in closed position of the lpen to be screwed upon I0 haspress-fitted or otherwise firmly secured 4 0 the threaded portion I3 ofthe barrel III. In the therein a plug 36, having ari-upwardly extending40' interiork of the barrelv I0 is an ink reservoir I4, nipple 31,provided with an external thread. 38 comprising a cylindrical tube I5,desirably of for receiving a cap 39. Nipple 31 is provided withA A rigidtransparent material such as glass or Cellual central elongated slot 40,extending the full loid, and a flexible bulb I8, advantageously in thelength thereof for receiving the lever 35. This form of a', rubbernipple, slipped tightly over the lever 35 is desirably made from a flatstrip ofl 45 upper end of said tube. and firmly cemented in metal,stamped to form a substantially flattened sealing relation thereto.Desirably 'embracing bulb-engaging arm ll of single thickness at its 4this tube I5 at the lower end of the nipple I6, lower forward end, and areversely bent rear arm and cemented to said tube and said nipple is al2, forming a rigid bar shank of substantially 5 ring I8 of hard rubberor the like, having anexrectangular cross-section extending in the slot40. 50 ternal diameter slightly smaller than the inter- The lever 35 ispivotally supported on the plug 36 nal diameter of the barrel I0, andserving to cenby a pivot pin 43, desirably press-fitted through; ter theupper section-of the ink reservoir Il with diametrically aligned holes44 in nipple 31, and respect to said barrel, and toprevent thereserpassing loosely through the shank 42 of said voir I4 from tiltingwithvrespect to the barrel I0. lever. The upper end of this shank 42extendsv 5( upwardly beyond nipple 31, and desirably has frictionallysecured thereto a button 45, serving as a thumb piece in the operationof said lever, and provided with a curved thumb engaging face 46.

The bulb engaging arm 4I of the lever 35 is offset at 41, so that saidarm in. the inflated position of the bulb I6, will conform generallywith the contour of said bulb as shown in Fig. 1, and will effect thecomplete collapse of the upper portion of said bulb in the bulbcollapsing position shown in Fig. 2. The lower end 48 of the bulbengaging arm is desirably turned outwardly, so that it will not dig intothe bulb I6 and injure it during bulb collapsing operation. The inherentresiliency of the bulb I6 will serve to maintain the lever 35 in theinoperative position shown in Fig. 1, withoutthe usual expedients ofsprings or the like, and will serve to return said lever to thisposition after it is manually released, following the bulb collapsingoperation shown in Fig. 2. 1

The upper end of the lever 35 when not in use is enclosed in the cap 39,.threaded on to nipple 31, and having an outer surface continuous withthe outer surface of the barrel I0.

The unit comprising the reservoir I4, with its bulb I6, section 20, feedsection 22, and nib II, may be easily removed from the barrel I forcleaning and repairing purposes, and the unit when thus removed lendsitself to internal washing as easily as does the conventional eyedropper, the result of said washing being made apparent through thetransparent reservoir I5.

'Ihe bulb collapsing-means, consisting of a simple lever, is not apt toget out of order, as is the more conventional and expensive presser barand leaf spring assemblage. This lever is rendered easily accessibleforfilling operations by the mere removal of the cap 39, so-that thisiilling can be accomplished without the necessity of removing the barrelI0. y

'I'he rigid reservoir section I5 surrounding the vent tube 21, protectssaid tube against damage, especially during bulb collapsing operationsshown in Fig. 2,*and the lever section 4I is sufliciently short so asnot to interfere with said vent tube.

By means of the present construction, the air space 3| serves toeffectively prevent the transmission of body heat from the pen holdinghand to the reservoir I4, so that the air in said reservoir is notexpanded to flood the pen, after a comparatively long writing period,even when l this reservoir is almost empty.

The apertures 32 are so arranged and distributed on the barrel I0, thatthey will not all be covered at the same time by the pen holding hand,so that the pressure in said barrel will not be permitted'to build up bythe heat of said hand sufciently to collapse the bulb I6, and fiood thepen, but will be released through said apertures.

'I'he spacing of the ink reservoir I4 from the outer barrel lpservesalso to protect said reservoir against possible damage.

As many changes could be made in the above article, and many apparentlywidely different embodiments of this invention could be made Withoutdeparting from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing,shall be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A heat insulated fountain pen comprising a section having a feedtherein, a pair of concentric air spaced tubes mounted coaxially of saidsection and rigidly afiixed thereto, the inner of said tubesconstituting an ink reservoir and the outer one the barrel of the pen, ashort rubber nipple closing the upper end of the reservoir, rigid meansclosing said barrel and enclosing said nipple, said barrel having one ormore vent apertures therein. I

2. A fountain pen of the vacuum type including a section, carrying afeed and a nib, an ink reservoir tube fitted in a corresponding groovein the end of said section, a short rubber nipple encircling the upperend of said reservoir tube and adapted for cooperation with a llingmeans, and an outer barrel extending about said reservoir tube andperipherally spaced therefrom, said outer barrel having one or moreventing apertures.

3. A fountain pen of the vacuum type including a section carrying a feedand a nib, an ink reservoir tube fitted in a corresponding groove in theend oi.' said section, a short rubber nipple encircling the upper endlof said reservoir tube and adapted for cooperation with a filling means,and an outer barrel extending about said reservoir tube and peripherallyspaced therefrom and a ring of rigid material encircling said reservoirtube and located adjacent said nipple and serving to center the uppersection of the reservoir tube with respect to the barrel, said barrelhaving one or more Vents.

BENJAMIN W. HANLE.

